Puppy Found With His Mouth Taped Shut Covers His Rescuer In Kisses
Bob Hoelter wondered if Louie would remember him. The last time they’d seen each other, Bob had carried the shivering puppy out from under a bridge. This time, Louie ran right up to him and covered his face in kisses.
A Walk to the Store Turns Into a Rescue
On a cold January night in 2019, Bob decided to walk to the store in Griffith, Indiana. He usually drove the two miles, but that evening he wanted some exercise.
As he crossed a bridge, Bob heard a whimper from below. He couldn’t see where it was coming from, so he crawled down the culvert on his hands and knees and pulled out his flashlight.
At the bottom, he found a tiny puppy shivering in the cold. Black electrical tape was wrapped tightly around his muzzle.
Bob tucked the puppy inside his jacket, climbed back up and hurried to Griffith Animal Hospital, hoping it was still open.
Louie Gets a Warm Bed and a Family
Hospital manager Lori Kovacich rushed the puppy to the veterinary team so quickly that she never got Bob’s name or phone number. Once the little dog was in their care, Bob went on to the store.
The puppy was about 4 months old and severely underweight. When the team removed the tape, they found badly damaged skin underneath. They treated him with antibiotics and ointment, made him a bed with blankets and stuffed animals, and later discovered a broken leg that would need surgery.
When the staff gave him something to eat, the puppy wagged his tail as he emptied his bowl. Some of the people watching him began to cry.
The hospital shared his story on Facebook, where it caught the attention of Mary Witting. She and her husband, Doug, had recently lost their dog and thought it would be a while before they brought another one home.
Then they met the puppy. They decided to adopt him and named him Louie.
Louie Runs Straight to the Man Who Saved Him
The same Facebook post that helped Louie find a family reached Bob’s niece. She helped arrange a reunion so Bob could see how the puppy he’d carried out of the cold was doing.
As soon as Louie was set down, he ran straight to Bob. The first time Bob held him, he’d tucked him into his jacket and hurried to find help. This time, he could just hold him and let the little dog lick his face.
Bob had set out for the store that night. Because he stopped when he heard a whimper, Louie got to run into his arms again and then go home with a family of his own.
Share Louie’s story with someone who would’ve stopped on that bridge, too.
